Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/619/9326
From The Socialist newspaper, 7 April 2010
Ex-Visteon workers continue fight for pensions
Hundreds of Visteon pensioners and their supporters marched through central London on 31 March to protest against cuts in their pensions due to the greed of their previous employers, Ford.
Alec Thraves
Visteon, a car parts manufacturer, was hived off from Ford in 2000 and its workers were told that their pensions would be safe and protected for life.
When Visteon went into administration one year ago the workers were forced to occupy their factories in Belfast, Enfield, north east London, and Basildon, Essex, to get a decent redundancy deal which was ultimately won by putting pressure on Ford.
Unfortunately, the Visteon pensioners have not been bailed out by Ford and have instead seen their pensions drop dramatically under the Pension Protection Fund.
Rob Williams, Unite convenor at Linamar in Swansea (ex Ford/Visteon) told the rally outside the Unite headquarters that Visteon pensioners expect their union Unite to take this profit-driven multinational to court so that its ex-employees can get back the money that they paid into the pension fund for decades. Some pensioners are already losing up to £350 a month.
Roger Maddison, the Unite national official responsible for the dispute, said that a decision about going to court would be made on 14 April.
The protesters handed in a petition signed by 2,000 members to Downing Street and then gathered at Parliament Square for a final rally.Police prevented the demonstrators from marching on the roads but the sight of over 400 protesters wearing 'Fraud' baseball caps and t-shirts, waving placards and marching down the City of London pavements definitely highlighted the campaign to the general public as well as for tourists.
Unite has to grasp the nettle and take on this bully boy company that is attacking workers who have given their lives to the Ford Motor Company and are being repaid with a kick in the teeth.
Why not click here to join the Socialist Party, or click here to donate to the Socialist Party.
In The Socialist 7 April 2010:
Defend jobs and services - Fight for a workers' alternative - Vote TUSC
General Election 6 May: A Socialist Challenge
Socialist Party editorial
Mobilise to defend the right to strike
London Underground workers balloting
Socialist Party election campaign
Stand up for the millions, not the millionaires!
Reject the parties of cuts and privatisation
Socialist Campaign launched in Coventry
Making an impact in Huddersfield
Hazel Must Go! opposes cuts to Salford NHS
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Socialist Party campaigns
March to defend the welfare state
Tories reveal yet more anti-gay bias
'Free schools' or free-for-all?
Socialist Party workplace news
NUT conference again calls for action on workload
Ex-Visteon workers continue fight for pensions
Socialist Students
Mobilise students and workers to defeat cuts and tuition fees
International socialist news and analysis
Kazakhstan: "change the politicians - or they will change you!"
Mass protests and strikes continue to shake Algeria
Tekel workers brutally attacked by police
Comment
The real lessons of the poll tax
Home | The Socialist 7 April 2010 | Join the Socialist Party
Join us today!
Printable version
email to friend
